This invention generally relates to a computer-controlled graphics display apparatus and more specifically to such graphics display apparatus that is useful for printing various publications including newspapers and magazines.
These publications characteristically contain textual material, pictures with captions, and advertisements. A combination of one or more of these items are arranged on one or more pages. The format of the foregoing items on each page must conform to various constraints. These contraints include column width, type fonts, point sizes and the number of lines on a page. Moreover, in its final form, a page must be esthetically pleasing. Satisfying all these constraints is a difficult task. Therefore, conventional page composition is a complex and time-consuming task.
In accordance with one such conventional approach for composing a page, the items are individually set in type. Proofs are then printed for editing purposes. After the editing is completed, a page is composed by "cutting and pasting" to form different pages of the publication. After this step, the type used to obtain the clean proofs is rearranged to provide a "galley" for the entire page. Alternatively, the "galley" might comprise the clean proofs that have been arranged on the page.
In either case the arrangement of the items on the page is reviewed to determine whether the page complies with all the various constraints. If it does, the page is ready to be printed by means of full-page typeset plates or by means of photographic plates obtained by photographing the galleys. If, on the other hand, the page does not comply with the various constraints, all the foregoing steps must be performed again until the constraints are satisfied. Such a procedure may require resetting type or printing additional clean proofs.
These procedures for composing items on the pages of a publication have varied little even with the advent of photocomposition machines and the use of such machines in association with text editing systems, such as described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,049 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 710,220. While these systems eliminate the typesetting steps described in the prior paragraph, they do not significantly alter the steps for composing a page. In such a system, the various items are individually corrected and proofread by means of electronic display devices thereby to eliminate the necessity for the proofs used during the editing process. Once the editing is completed, however, an operator must enter various printing information to control the outline and other features of the item. A photocomposition machine receives all this information from the text editing system and prints the various items in accordance with the several constraints for each. These printed items are then cut and pasted in preparation for the production of a photographic printing plate. Thus, even with this procedure the operator never sees the actual format until the page is printed.
It is apparent that even today the procedures for composing textual material, pictures, advertisements and other items into an esthetically pleasing page have not changed significantly, even though these procedures are complex and require many manual steps. Moreover, the complexity further increases if the first attempt at composing a page is not satisfactory, because all the many steps that were taken may have to be performed again.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus that reduces the complexity of page composition.
Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus that can be used to compose pages electronically without the need for any galley, or other intermediate, proofs.
Still another object of this invention is to provide apparatus that electronically simulates a page and enables the textual material, advertisements, picture outlines and other items to be moved on the page during the composition process.